Goats

Goats are common in Mythic Europe and beyond – they are used for their meat, their milk and in some places their hairy hides. Transhumance, the movement of pastoralists and their herds from the coastal plains to the mountain pastures over the course of the year, is particularly common in Provence and the Maghreb.

Many Christian tales of the Devil depict Satan as a black goat or humanoid he-goat presiding over a coven of witches and folklore is full of tales of local hedge magicians assuming the form of goats. Popular moralism associates the goat with lechery due to their extreme activity when in rut.

Male goats (Hircus) are similar to the basic she-goat above but some may be larger (Size 0, increasing Strength to +2 and dropping Quickness to 0), have a stronger Personality Trait of Lustful +3 and have the Ferocity (romantic rival) Virtue.

Larger breeds of goats, goat-antelopes and sheep (up to Size +1) such as the Mouflon, and breeds with larger horns such as the Ibex of the Levant or the Barbary Sheep of Morocco exist throughout Mythic Europe and the Mythic Middle East – these creatures may have increased strength due to their larger size or have their combat statistics altered using the template for Large horns: Init +2, Atk +3, Def +2, Dam +3.

Sheep: these statistics can also be used for wild ewes (Ovis) – change Personality Traits to: Peaceful +3, Obedient +3, drop the Aggressive and Extra Natural Weapons Qualities, decrease Cunning by 1, and change Abilities to Brawl (dodge) 2. Not all wild ewes have horns and most are smaller than goats (Size -2), subtract 2 from Strength and increase Quickness to +2. Wild rams (Aries) resemble male goats but have the following different Personality Traits: Virile +3, Violent +2.

Domesticated goats and sheep lack a Survival score but have slightly higher Communication scores of -4.

All goats and sheep are good climbers and gain a +3 bonus to all rolls involving climbing.

Bjornaer magi with wild goat Heartbeasts have a melancholic humor whereas those with wild sheep Heartbeasts are melancholic with a choleric aspect.